Online Learning Consortium and Cidi Labs Join Forces to Enhance Online Course Design, Engagement, and Accessibility

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC), a leading organization dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences, and Cidi Labs, an innovative provider of course design tools for the Canvas LMS, are pleased to announce their partnership aimed at improving online course design, engagement, and accessibility.

With the rapid growth of online education, it has become increasingly important to provide educators with effective tools and resources to create engaging and inclusive learning experiences. Recognizing this need, OLC and Cidi Labs have joined forces to leverage their respective expertise. Through this partnership, OLC will use Cidi Labs tools to enhance their training that empowers educators to design high-quality online courses. OLC will be using Cidi Labs flagship product DesignPLUS and their UDOIT Accessibility Assistant to design the training courses they offer. These tools will allow OLC to demonstrate its commitment to scaling best practices of instructional design in its own training programs that use Canvas. Cidi Labs will support OLC’s use of these products and collaborate to improve them.

Together, we are bringing the power of Cidi Labs’ DesignPLUS and UDOIT Advantage Accessibility Assistant tools to OLC’s training courses. Join us for a free webinar, “Designing an Exemplary Learning Experience” on November 28, 2023 where OLC’s Center for Professional Learning will share their process for designing an exemplary online learning experience and showcase the course template they have created using DesignPLUS from Cidi Labs to maximize engagement in their workshops.

The partnership between OLC and Cidi Labs brings together the strengths of both organizations. OLC’s mission is to promote innovative and high-quality digital teaching and learning practices, ultimately enhancing student success in online education. By serving as a hub for knowledge exchange and professional development, OLC plays a crucial role in driving advancements in online education and supporting educators in adapting to the evolving landscape of digital learning. Cidi Labs, on the other hand, is renowned for its innovative design tools, including the popular DesignPLUS suite, which streamlines the course design process and the UDOIT Advantage Accessibility Assistant which makes it easy for course designers to remove obstacles that stand in the way of accessible learning. Cidi Labs’ mission aligns with OLC’s to empower course designers and educators to easily and quickly create impactful, accessible learning experiences for all students.

“OLC is very excited to be partnering with Cidi Labs, and we look forward to collaborating with them to promote impactful and equitable teaching practices that ultimately lead to student success,” said Dylan Barth, Associate Vice President of Learning for OLC. “DesignPLUS and UDOIT will help us enrich our high-quality workshops and programs with the goal of providing exemplary professional development experiences for our community members.”

“We’ve long admired OLC’s community and mission and have supported many OLC conferences since our inception in 2016,” commented Mike Zackrison, CEO and Co-Founder of Cidi Labs. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to take our partnership up a notch by providing our powerful design and accessibility solutions to help OLC take its professional development offerings delivered through Canvas to the next level.”

This collaboration between OLC and Cidi Labs demonstrates a shared dedication to improving online education and equipping educators with the necessary resources to succeed in the digital learning environment. Through their joint efforts, the two organizations aim to elevate the standard of online course design, foster student engagement, and promote accessibility for all learners.

For more information about the Online Learning Consortium and Cidi Labs, please visit https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/ and www.cidilabs.com.


About the Online Learning Consortium (OLC):

The OLC is a collaborative community dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences. Through its professional development, publications, research, and community engagement, the OLC provides educators with the knowledge and resources needed to excel in the online learning environment.

About Cidi Labs:

Cidi Labs products empower educators and course designers to easily create impactful and accessible learning. Our affordable, easy-to-use LMS plug-in tools for Canvas help them discover superpowers to dramatically increase productivity, ignite creativity, and scale the delivery of high-quality, accessible learning for all students.

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